See You When We're Sleeping
by KristaBee
Summary: Unknowingly, Elena and Damon are sharing dreams. Elena is dating Stefan. What will happen once Damon and Elena realize they are sharing parts of their subconscious with each other? Slightly AU. Rating has changed to M!
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fic. I hope you enjoy it!

I do not own or have any rights to the Vampire Diaries. I am only thankful for the inspiration spawned by the show.

Elena took a deep breath. It had been too long since she'd come to her spot. Only a half-hour North of Mystic Falls and a right turn off Highway 28 and she was in a different world. She needed the escape. The past two months had worn her down. Elena navigated through the waist high grass until reaching the pond's perimeter. The trees on the other side were perfectly mirrored on the still surface. There was nothing but silence. Stepping on the heel of one shoe and then the other, Elena freed her feet and dug her toes in the cool sand, exhaling. A minute later she walked to the pond's edge and planted herself ankle deep in the clear water. She imagined roots sprouting from the souls of her feet anchoring her dozens of yards below. And there she stood—just breathing—for who knows how long.

A swooping bird stirred her from her reverie. She smiled slightly noticing the bird had been successful at snatching a small fish. The sun would begin its rapid descent in two hours. Elena loved this time of day; the light was a peaceful, warm hue. Elena didn't need to look around before undressing. She had never seen a sign of another human any time she'd been here. The rustling of grass was the most dominant sound she'd ever heard here before. Without any other stimulation, her senses—especially her hearing—always felt unbelievably heightened when she visited her pond. She briefly wondered how her hearing right now would compare to Stefan's.

Elena shimmied out her jeans tossing them a few feet behind her and next to her long sleeve tee. Her breath caught a fraction at the temperature difference as she waded deeper. Adjusting quickly, she took a shallow dive to immerse herself completely. She sprang back up entranced by the concurrent rings, growing from her point of exit, ripple further and further over the pond's smooth surface. Elena bent her knees to submerge again straight down this time. She sat at the bottom and opened her eyes. She could see a great distance. It was a sandy bottom with sparse plant life. The few plants she could see were almost unmoving the water was so calm. A school of minnows swam near her, curious. It was irrational, she knew minnows were harmless, but she didn't like their proximity so she moved an arm through the water startling the minnows enough to swim away. Someone laughed at her.

Elena shot up out of the water. Who was there? She scanned 360 degrees and saw no one. Still, there was no doubt in her mind that she'd heard someone laughing not more than a couple feet away. She hurried out of the water retrieving her clothes from the shore. She stepped back into her pants noticing her hands were shaking slightly. She starting walking, zipping her jeans and struggling to pull her shirt over her wet bra. She sped up to a jog. She was feeling simultaneously desperate and relieved once she saw her car parked in the distance. She was a hundred yards away now and running. _Elena, relax._ _Elena, relax. Elena…relax!_

What the hell? Running faster she looked behind her. Who the fuck was telling her to relax and how did they know her name? Preoccupied with locating the voice, Elena didn't notice the hole in the path ahead of her. Panic sparked as her extended front foot didn't meet the resistance of the ground like she was expecting. Her head snapped forward and she saw that she was falling.

Elena was startled awake from falling and hitting her mattress. Heart pounding out of her chest, Elena looked around her room disbelieving. It was only one of those "falling dreams" that everybody had? She was covered in sweat and wide awake; she wouldn't be falling back asleep tonight. Huffing, she noted it was only 3 a.m.

_Elena, relax. Elena, relax. Elena…_

"Relax!" Damon woke up to himself shouting.

* * *

><p>The next day at school was rough. Elena fell asleep both in 2nd and 4th period. During history Stefan nudged Elena awake with a quizzical look on his face. Yes, he'd seen her eyes glaze over in boredom but he'd never seen Elena fall asleep in class before. Elena blushed slightly at being caught, "didn't get much sleep last night" she whispered with a shrug of her shoulders. Stefan frowned. It didn't take much for him to worry about her. The bell rang signaling the end of the period.<p>

In the hallway Stefan wanted to know more. "You didn't sleep well?"

Elena brushed off the concern. "Had a weird dream and couldn't fall back asleep. It's not a big deal."

Stefan nodded deciding to drop the subject. Clearly, Elena did not want to expand. "So, do you have plans after school today?"

Elena let out an exaggerated sigh. "Caroline is dragging me and Bonnie shopping for the Founder's event at the Lockwood's this weekend. You didn't forget about it, did you?"

Stefan smiled. "Forget about escorting my lovely girlfriend? Of course not." Elena returned his smile and popped up on her toes to steal a peck. "Okay, I'm gonna be late. I'll see you after 6th period."

"Okay" Stefan said to her retreating back.

* * *

><p>Elena was a little on edge. They'd already been at the mall hours longer than she'd wanted to be. So far she hadn't liked anything she'd tried on. Caroline had tried talking her into two dresses that were way too revealing for Elena's taste. She didn't have her normal patience and Caroline backed off after Elena was snippy with her more than once.<p>

Elena was grumbling about the ridiculous number of formal events their small town held every year when a dress stopped her mid-sentence. It was a slate, purple color—something different from her normal dark blue—yet sure to compliment her olive skin and dark hair. It was strapless with a shirred, sweetheart bodice and empire waist. "I'm trying this on" Elena declared. In the dressing room Elena was pleased. The chiffon was soft, grazing her legs; something about the sensation made her feel sort of sexy. The dress hit just above the knee which she felt good about since she would be showing a lot of skin on top. She thought Damon would think she looked beautiful.

Elena's gasped. Why had she just thought that? Why hadn't she thought about what Stefan would think of the dress? Caroline interrupted her uneasy contemplation. "Well, what does it look like?" Elena opened the door for Caroline and Bonnie to see. "Oh, it's beautiful," Bonnie exclaimed as Caroline nodded in agreement, "but you look flushed Elena, are you okay?" Elena's mouth felt dry. "Yeah, yeah I think I'm just a bit dehydrated or something from this shopping _marathon_" she looked at Caroline pointedly. "Okay, okay buy the dress and we'll leave."

* * *

><p>Stefan entered the living room to a usual scene. Damon was sipping on bourbon. It didn't seem likely that it was his first of the day with a look at his glassy eyes. "Hey, little brother" he drawled, "How was <em>school<em>? Learn anything new to tell your big bro about? Color a picture to hang on the fridge?" he snickered.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "I see you've been spending your time in a much more productive way."

"Ohhh, little bro is learning to quip. Is that something Elena's teaching you?"

"Okay, I am going upstairs" Stefan began to walk away.

"Wait" Damon suddenly grew serious piquing Stefan's curiosity. Stefan turned half way back. "Yes, Damon?" he asked impatiently.

"I have a serious question. And unfortunately I have to ask you because you're the only vampire around I'm in contact with." Damon had to add a hint of insult. He didn't want Stefan getting any ideas about brotherly bonding.

Stefan raised a brow and sighed. "Okay, get on with it then." Damon paused.

"When was the last time you had a dream?" It sounded like the word "dream" left a bad taste in his mouth.

"A dream?" Stefan had to stop and think. "Honestly, I can't remember…at least five years, maybe ten."

Damon nodded, looking grave. Dreams were uncommon for vampires. Sleep wasn't necessary so when a vampire did sleep it wasn't soundly and they rarely entered dream territory.

"Why, did you have a dream recently or something?" Stefan inquired.

"Me? No dreams. Just doing research for a school project." Damon mocked. He shot Stefan a look letting him know the conversation was over.

* * *

><p>I hope you liked it! Please review (good or bad), especially with this being my first story and all. I will really appreciate feedback.<p>

Oh, if anyone is interested here if the link to the dress described in this chapter: .com/s/js-collections-strapless-chiffon-dress/3143936?origin=category&resultback=2203 Do you think it's something Elena would wear?


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own the Vampire Diaries.

Note: Remember the words "Elena, relax" really freaked Elena out in chapter one. Remembering that should clear up potential confusion in this chapter. Happy reading!

* * *

><p>How had Damon ended up at another Founder's event? Even more, how had he become Caroline's date? He snagged another glass of champagne from one of the catering waiters. Tilting her head to the side with brows expectantly raised, Caroline extended her hand. Damon growled and reluctantly handed the drink over. He needed something stronger anyway. "I'm going to go find a <em>real<em>drink, sweetie."He practically spit the last word at Caroline before disappearing.

Bonnie took Damon's absence as her chance to approach Caroline. "Have you seen Elena yet?"

Caroline whined, "You aren't even going to tell me I look pretty first?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes, "Hello Caroline, my you are looking hot tonight" Bonnie said sarcastically. "Now, have you seen Elena?"

"No, but she texted saying she was running late." Bonnie nodded tentatively.

Damon had been listening from across the room also curious why he hadn't seen Elena—and Stefan—yet. He took a swig of his drink and decided it was time to get back to the blonde. He hoped the witch would leave once she noticed him walking in their direction. He wasn't in the mood for Bonnie tonight.

Damon was ignoring Caroline as she droned on and on about some Amber girl and then some decoration committee, something about tacky tiaras, blah, blah, blah. Then, from three rooms away Damon heard the front door open. He could smell Stefan and Elena before they said anything. He straightened up trying to look interested in his conversation with Caroline but kept his back turned to their approaching footsteps.

"Caroline, you look amazing." Elena gushed knowing how to appease her blonde friend.

"Why, thank you Elena." Caroline glared back at Damon. He hadn't said anything about her dress or looks all night.

Damon took this opportunity to feign surprise at the presence of Stefan and Elena. Obviously, Stefan saw through this knowing his brother's keen senses. However, Damon was genuinely surprised when he turned and his breath caught in his throat at the sight of Elena. She was stunning in a strapless, slate purple dress. Stefan noticed Damon's reaction and put his hand on the small of Elena's back possessively. Elena seemed oblivious to the attention.

Caroline however was not and her jealousy rose. "Elena, come to the ladies room with me." She was dragging Elena away by the wrist before she even finished her command. Elena glanced back over her shoulder giving Stefan an apologetic, 'what can I do?' look. Stefan gave her a knowing smile.

Stefan glanced at the drink in Damon's hand. "What number is that?"

Damon scowled. "Last time I checked you are not my chaperone." The two brothers went their separate ways.

* * *

><p>Two hours later Damon wanted to tear his hair out. Absentmindedly, he wondered if it would grow right back the way his wounds healed instantly. Caroline's voice pierced through his musings. "Finally! People are dancing. Let's go" she dragged him to the other dancing pairs. Damon had loved dancing as a human and it was still something he enjoyed now. For a moment Damon felt at peace at that thought.<p>

Caroline was an energetic, animated dancer and she wasn't bad at the technical aspects either. _Maybe it's the cheerleading or something,_Damon smirked to himself. It was the first time tonight he was enjoying her company and she looked pleased at his appreciation.

Elena was hugging a corner with Stefan. They were having a good conversation but Elena kept getting distracted by the people dancing. She felt a twinge of jealousy as she watched Caroline being twirled, dipped, and waltzed around by Damon. From where she was standing it looked like Damon was actually wearing a genuine smile. _That's rare. _

Elena caught herself. Why was she feeling bothered? If Elena had been honest with herself she'd admitted she wished Stefan was a little more _fun_sometimes. He never wanted to dance. Well, he would slow dance but that was all. However, Elena was not honest with herself and she chalked up her annoyance to Caroline being a ham for attention—from anyone—regardless of their questionable character and non-existing morals.

Damon noticed he'd gained another audience member—this time a notable one, Elena. She was standing with her long arms folded loosely around her waist trying her best to pay attention to her conversation with Stefan. The poor girl; Damon didn't know how she did it. He couldn't listen to his broody brother for more than five minutes.

Just then the music's tempo slowed, the bass lowered, and the lights dimmed. The slow-dance-energy (as Damon had deemed it) filled the room. There was a collective pause as everyone reverted to their Junior High selves for a few moments, looking around wide-eyed, trying to catch a certain person's glance. Caroline had gone all doe-eyed; looking at Damon like her livelihood was teetering on his invitation to dance. He took a deep breath to keep himself from rolling his eyes and extended his hand to her. She sighed in relief.

Elena brightened at the slower music. Now Stefan would agree to dance. They took to the dance floor. Elena felt safe in Stefan's embrace. Her face was a painting of blissful content once she'd settled her head in the crook of his neck. She inhaled him deeply. He had a piney smell. Their "dancing" was more like a locomoting cuddle, that is to say there really weren't any steps or anything. It didn't seem to matter to them. But it mattered to Damon. _What kind of lame sap is that, Stefan?_ _We've lived through more than one dance era and all you've got is a revolving hug? _Damon decided Elena needed a real dance partner and excused himself from Caroline.

Damon approached Elena and Stefan. "Stefan, do you mind if I cut in?" Elena was annoyed. What if _she_minded? Stefan wasn't especially happy to hand Elena over to Damon but he wasn't about to cause a scene. "One dance, Damon." Stefan reluctantly let go of Elena's hand.

Elena tensed slightly when she felt Damon's initial touch. "Relax, Elena." Those words sent a shiver down each of their spines. They noticed the similar reaction in one another and locked eyes curiously. They stopped swaying, eyes dueling, waiting for the other to explain the reaction to those familiar words. Elena's mind was reeling. She hadn't put it together until now. It had been Damon's voice in her dream?

Damon cleared his throat. People had noticed their tense stillness on the dance floor. "Maybe we should take this dance to the balcony." He half whispered. Elena scanned the room and nodded. "Okay."

Out on the balcony Elena had regained her wits. "What was that about Damon? What do you know?"

"I know that I was just trying to be a social gentlemen asking for a lady's hand in dance. And I know you reacted like a leper was touching you." Damon defended.

"I did not."

"No?" Damon raised a brow and leaned in closer with every word. "You didn't freeze like a doe when I touched you?" It took all of Elena's willpower to keep her body from reacting outwardly to Damon's hot breath on her neck. She swallowed as Damon weaved his hand under the silky sheet of her chocolate hair resting his fingertips on the nape of her neck. "And, Elena, what was all that shivering about?" One finger tip began a descent down Elena's spine mimicking her bodily reaction to _those_ two words. "Elena, relax."

Suddenly Elena was raging. Damon was not allowed to toy with her for his amusement. "You know what Damon? Fuck you."

Damon captured her arm before she even got a foot away from him. "Tsk tsk, Elena, I will be the one to decide when this conversation is over."

Elena's blood was boiling. "Damon, let go of my arm." She demanded, noticing there was no hitch in her voice this time. She felt strong and in control.

"Usually I find 'Bossy Elena' amusing, but tonight she's just pissing me off." Damon snarled, tightening his grip on her arm.

"Damon, I'm warning you, let. me. go." She hissed back.

Damon smirked, what had gotten into this little vixen? "Let go of you or what, Elena?"

A half-second later Damon was flying through the air and then crashing into the balcony's cement balustrade. Before he could fully wonder _what the hell? _Elena was crashing on top of him from a fifteen foot lunge she'd taken two milliseconds ago. Except Elena wasn't Elena. Her eyes were wild with veins bulging. In the back of his mind Damon noticed an absent heart beat. She shot him a wicked smile exposing long fangs. It was then that Damon noticed she was hiding something in her hand behind her back. A sharp, wooden something. "Goodbye, Damon" Elena hissed as she plunged the splintered stake into his heart.

* * *

><p>Damon shot up in bed clutching his non-beating chest. He looked down to find no stake, no blood, no wound. He was fine. Except that he was not fine. "Two nights in a row now? Fuck!" He yelled to no one.<p>

* * *

><p>Elena shot up in bed clutching her chest. Her heart was beating—wildly in fact. Half way through a sigh of relief, Elena launched off her bed skidding into the bathroom. She flipped on the light to inspect her face. Everything was normal. No vampire face.<p>

* * *

><p>What had <em>that<em> been about? Not only was that another dream…had that been a nightmare? Had Elena turned into Katherine? No, in his dream he knew it was Elena—just as a vampire. Damon swallowed. Most importantly, why had Vampire Elena staked him?

* * *

><p>Across town Elena was also struggling through the recap. Had she turned into Katherine? No, it had been her—just as a vampire. How had she become a vampire and why? How had it been so easy to overpower Damon? Most importantly, why had she staked him?<p>

* * *

><p>Thank you for the previous reviews; they made my day! Please keep them coming. The next chapter will be during the real Founder's Event.<p>

There is a pun in this chapter jabbing at Stefan a bit. Can anyone find it?

Most likely I won't update as quickly because it's Finals Week, but I'll do my best :)


	3. The Opposite of Love Isn't Hate

Elena awoke feeling refreshed. She'd been dream free for the past three nights. She was surprised to realize she was actually looking forward to the Lockwood's party tonight. In fact, she was feeling so cheery she decided to go downstairs and make breakfast for everyone.

Jena was the first one up—technically—but by the way she was staring into her coffee mug like an endless abyss Elena thought it would have been better for Jena to chill and sleep in a bit. She was trying so hard as their guardian; it pained Elena to see her so exhausted. "Jena?" There was no response. "Hey, Jena?" Elena was louder this time.

Jena looked startled. "Oh, Elena. Good morning." She tried out a smile but it fell flat.

"Ha, good morning for me, but you…not so much. I think you should go back to bed."

"What? No, I'm fine."

"You don't need to get up so early every morning. I know you're up late each night working on your thesis. Jeremy and I are past the bottle feeding stage. We know how to poor cereal. Now, go back to bed, Jena." Elena commanded in her best authoritative tone.

And it worked. Without another word Jena trudged back up the stairs. "Huh, I should have tried that sooner." Elena said to herself as she went to work in the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Damon wasn't cheery per say, because Damon was never cheery, but he was in a significantly better mood than a few days ago. It had been three nights since he'd dreamt; now he could write it all off as a weird fluke. Damon's cell phone rang. His brows knitted when he saw it was Liz Forbes.<p>

"Liz, is something wrong?" Sherriff Forbes only called him when there was an urgent vampire situation.

"Hey Damon, no there isn't anything _really_ wrong." She paused not sure how to continue. "You've said we're friends, right?"

"Of course." Damon had an uneasy feeling about where this conversation was headed.

"Well, I was hoping as a friend that you would do me a favor." She picked up her pace. "You see, Caroline was going to go with Matt to the Lockwood party tonight but I guess they got in a big fight and now Caroline is planning on going with a blind date."

"Uh huh"

"I know there hasn't been any vampire activity recently but I just don't feel like I can let my guard down yet and I wouldn't want her going with a stranger anyhow." She paused. "Damon, will you take Caroline tonight?"

Damon could hear that she was holding her breath in anticipation of his answer. He was not happy about this but he knew how important it was to keep his relationship with the sheriff as peachy as possible. He groaned inwardly. "You know I would do anything for you, but are you sure Caroline will agree to this?"

"She will agree or she won't be going at all." Damon realized Liz was going to use him as an ultimatum. Caroline wasn't his biggest fan but she was a socialite and she wouldn't miss this party for anything.

"I see. Well then, it would be my pleasure, Liz."

"Oh, Damon, thank you."

"Yup, don't mention it." _Please don't mention it ever again._ Damon's good mood was tanking quickly.

* * *

><p>Elena's perched in her window seat, journaling, when her cell phone's beeping interrupted her. It was a "911" text from Caroline. Elena rolled her eyes. Caroline's 911 texts were becoming reminiscent of the 'Boy Who Cried Wolf'. Elena called her immediately anyway.<p>

"Elena! This is a disaster! I hate my mother. Hate her!"

"Whoa, calm down Caroline. What's a disaster?"

"You know how Matt and I got in a fight and I had to find a new date for tonight? When I told my mom she totally freaked about it being a blind date!" Caroline was in full tantrum mode.

"Okay?"

"My bitch of a mother called Damon!" Caroline whined out his name.

"She called Damon?" Elena asked incredulously.

"Yes, she called Damon, and asked him to take me. How mortifying is that?"

Elena's stomach was beginning to sink. "But, you're not going with Damon, right?"

"I have to or my mom won't let me go at all."

"Maybe you shouldn't go then? What's one skipped dance out of thousands?"

This was not the response Caroline was expecting. "Don't go?" She stopped. "Is this about something else Elena?"

"What? What are you talking about?" Elena cringed hearing the high pitch of her voice.

"Do you not want me to go with Damon?" She asked suspiciously.

"Caroline, you're the one who doesn't want to go with Damon. Why would I care if you go with Damon?" Elena was using her best 'reasonable voice'.

"Don't act coy, Elena. I've seen the way you and Damon flirt."

"We do not!"

"Oh, that's right, you call it bantering."

"Caroline, this is getting ridiculous. You knew from the beginning of this conversation that you were going with Damon; you just wanted to be dramatic about it. I have to go. I'll see you there." Elena hung up.

Caroline's mouth fell open as she looked at her phone. How dare she hang up! Caroline hmmphed and started dialing Bonnie. 

_This shouldn't be happening, _Elena thought. Damon was Caroline's date in that horrible dream. Elena had felt assurance from the fact that Damon and Caroline would never happen again. It helped her laugh the nightmare away, but now they were going together? Elena needed more information. 

Damon's phone beeped signaling he had a text. He picked his phone up and was surprised to see it was from Elena. "Ur taking Caroline 2 the dance 2nite?"

How did Elena know and why did she care? More interestingly, why was she letting him know she cared? Damon thought a minute before responding. "Ya…y?" was all he came up with.

Elena wasn't expecting such a vague answer. "I dont no…dont u think thats weird?

Weird? Damon thought to himself. Unexpected? Yes. Undesirable? Definitely yes. But what did Elena mean by weird? "I dunno…Liz asked me 2 so I said yes."

Elena was getting frustrated with his vague answers. Why had she texted Damon anyway? She decided to end the conversation. "Ok".

Damon frowned at her one word response. He'd wanted this unexpected conversation to last a little longer. "Will u b there?"

"Yup"

"Ok…save me a dance"

Elena was surprised and didn't end up responding to the request.

* * *

><p>Jena opened the door to a very handsome looking Stefan. "Hey Stefan, Elena will be down in a minute." She stepped to the side to let Stefan pass.<p>

"Jena, you look very pretty. I didn't know you were going tonight."

"Oh, I'm not. Ric and I are going out." Jena smiled looking a bit like a giddy schoolgirl.

Elena heard Stefan and Jena talking downstairs and hurried to check herself in the mirror one last time. After feeling bored with her long, straight hair she'd decided to wear it up tonight. She'd styled it with a lot of volume and hairspray and now she was worried she may have gone overboard. She'd gone with smoky eye shadow to compliment the slate coloring of her purple dress. Grabbing her jacket and sliding another coat of gloss over her lips Elena began her descent downstairs.

Stefan visibly gasped at the sight of Elena. She looked beautiful. But Elena always looked beautiful to Stefan. Tonight, Elena looked like a sensual sophisticated _woman_. Elena was pleased with Stefan's response. She gave him a teasing smile. "You like?"

Stefan swallowed. "You look," he took a deep breath searching for the right words, "absolutely stunning."

"Well you look pretty darn good yourself." She tugged on his lapel wanting a kiss.

Elena and Stefan parted at the sound of returning footsteps.

"Wow. Elena, you look gorgeous. You look like your mother." Jena smiled a bittersweet smile.

Returning the smile, Elena thanked Jena and Stefan cleared his throat. "Well, we better get going" they said in unison and began chuckling. Hand in hand they left the house. "Too cute." Jena murmured to herself.

* * *

><p>Damon and Caroline's night was not off to a good start. Caroline barely acknowledged Damon when he'd come to pick her up. Instead she just stood with her arms crossed glaring at her mother.<p>

Damon was trying both to remember and forget his dream. He was trying to remember it to keep from repeating things and he was trying to forget it because he hated feeling subservient in any way, even if it were to his own unconscious.

Anyhow, he'd remembered Caroline being peeved with him in the dream when he neglected to tell her she looked pretty. However, after the scowl he received when he did compliment her he wished he hadn't bothered.

He was thankful when they began making their way towards the door. Then he sighed realizing leaving Caroline's only marked the beginning of what may be a very long night. "Bye, Liz. Don't worry; we'll have a great time." He lied. Caroline rolled her eyes.

For show, Damon opened the passenger side door for Caroline but shut it more forcefully than needed. Once he pulled out of the driveway Caroline perked up. "Thanks for complimenting my dress. I know some of the girls are going to gossip that the gold is tacky. What they don't know is that gold is totally in for autumn and this is the Harvest Ball after all." Damon nodded in understanding. Grumpy Caroline had been an act for her mother. 

As Damon and Caroline pulled up to the Lockwood Mansion Damon tried to prepare himself for the night. He was trying to return to the good mood he'd woken up to. Caroline's incessant rambling wasn't making it easy.

"Ow, ow! There's something in my eye!" Caroline suddenly shrieked.

"Calm down." An annoyed Damon instructed as he flipped on the overhead light. "Let me see." With his hand cupping Caroline's chin he guided her face closer for inspection. He trapped her fluttering eyelid beneath his pointer finger. "I don't see anything."

"What? No, there's something in there." Caroline insisted. Her breathing was a little shallow in such close proximity to Damon.

Damon looked closer, just inches from Caroline's face. He was unaware of Elena and Stefan pulling in next to them. 

Elena's breath caught at the sight of Damon and Caroline. He was cupping Caroline's face, gazing in to her eyes. Were they about to kiss? Elena couldn't believe it. An ugly, green monster was taking form in Elena's gut. 

"Oh, yup, it's an eyelash." Damon smirked at the fragility of humans. You would have thought Caroline had been staked in the eye the way she was shrieking. "Oh." Caroline blushed at her reaction. With feather like fingers Damon swiped away the intruding eyelash. "Ready to go now?" Damon asked tugging on the door handle. "You could have at least let me make a wish." Caroline pouted.

"I didn't know seventeen year-olds still—"Damon's car door smashed into something metal-sounding. "What the hell." Damon shot out of driver's seat coming face to face with an angry Elena.

"Jesus, Damon, watch what you're doing!" Elena shouted. "You almost sliced me in two between our doors, God!" Distracted with Caroline, Damon hadn't sensed a car pulling in next to them, leading him to fling his door open just as Elena was doing the same.

Damon was speechless. Damon was speechless for two reasons. First, he'd never seen Elena looking so sexual and womanly. Secondly, she was wearing the dress—the slate purple dress with a sweetheart neckline—the exact one he'd dreamt of.

"Your dress…" Damon half-whispered unintentionally.

Elena looked at him as if he were slow. "Yes, girls wear them sometimes when they dress up. If you didn't notice your date has one on too." Elena wasn't sure why she was still being so snippy.

Damon grew very serious for a moment, almost transfixed. "Elena, you're no girl." He leaned in to where his lips were almost grazing her ear. "You, Elena, are the most beautiful woman. The. Most. Beautiful." His bottom lip brushed against her lobe. Elena and Damon shivered together simultaneously. The shivering shook Damon back to the present; he straightened not sure what had come over him. They held each other's gaze until a spying Caroline piped up. "Okay, car door crisis averted. Let's go." 

Damon and Elena made sure to stay away from each other for the next few hours. Neither of their dates had been thrilled with them after they witnessed Damon and Elena's moment together. Elena had been going to extra lengths with Stefan since then and it was beginning to grate on his nerves.

"Elena, stop laughing unusually hard, stop pushing all the extra small talk, and stop kissing me every thirty seconds." Stefan heard himself seethe and added "please" with a deep exhale. Elena looked like she'd been shot. Her eyes darted about as she was unsure of how to proceed. Stefan began feeling guilty for snapping at her. But then he felt annoyed again. He was allowed to feel irritated with her. He excused himself from Elena's company without saying where he was going.

Elena stood mortified as water began to well in her eyes. She headed towards the restroom and Bonnie noticed. "Elena, what's wrong?"

"I don't know. I made Stefan mad." She managed to squeak out. Bonnie looked concerned.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Nothing happened." Elena said getting visibly more upset.

"Whoa, okay, slow down and talk to me." Bonnie placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.

Mute, Elena came to a standstill in one of the many hallways of the Lockwood mansion. A tear rolled down her cheek and Bonnie wiped it away. "Oh, Elena, what's wrong?"

"You know I hate Damon, right?" Bonnie wasn't sure about Elena hating Damon but she nodded along anyhow. "He," she paused, "has been in a couple of my dreams lately." Bonnie waited for her to go on.

"And tonight, he almost killed me— Elena registered Bonnie's instantaneous fury, "No, no! It was just a silly accident, but I think my emotions were heightened or something from it and we had this moment and he told me I was beautiful and-" Elena began crying. Bonnie cradled Elena's head, petting her hair.

"Shhhh. Shhhh. It's okay." She reassured.

"It's not okay!" Elena exclaimed with a renewed energy. "I hurt Stefan. A single moment planted a seed of doubt. I know he's thinking about Katherine now. How he and Damon fought for Katherine's affection. I can see it in his eyes." Elena's face was full of remorse.

"Elena, you are not Katherine. Stefan knows that. Please don't be so hard on yourself." 

Once Caroline let momentarily, Stefan approached Damon and offered him the extra drink in his hand. Damon accepted with an air "cheers" and raised brows. Stefan's lips were parted, about to say something when the brothers' vampire hearing narrowed in on Elena's voice.

"And tonight, he almost killed me…No, no! It was just a silly accident but I think my emotions were heightened or something…"

As they continued listening, Damon and Stefan glared at one another challenging each other's eavesdropping rights.

"This is about me" Damon was indignant.

"It's not about you and I'm the one dating Elena, Damon." Stefan spat.

"Yes, aren't relationships supposed to be about trust or something? How would Elena feel if she knew you were eavesdropping on her?" 

Bonnie's voice interrupted them. "Elena, you are not Katherine. Stefan knows that. Please don't be so hard on yourself."

"I know, I know. You're right. I just feel so guilty about my reaction to Damon's touch. One brush of Stefan's lips doesn't send shivers down my spine." Elena confessed as if she were on trial for 1st degree homicide.

At that comment Damon's eyes grew wide and pain washed over Stefan's face until he swallowed it down.

"Elena, it only happened once. It's not something you can control. Don't blame yourself so much."

"Yeah." Elena agreed, unconvinced. "Okay, let's get you to a sink. Your face is a mess of mascara." Bonnie tried to chuckle light-heartedly. 

The brothers heard retreating footsteps. "Yes, you shouldn't blame her Stefan. Her attraction to me isn't something she can control." Damon spun Bonnie's words and threw them in his brother's face.

Stefan was beginning to rage inside. "Like Bonnie said, it was a one-time thing, Damon."

"A one-time thing? That's not what I heard her say. I heard that it's only happened once, so far…" Damon left the last words hanging.

At that, Stefan snared Damon's arm and dragged him forcefully towards the balcony. Stefan only had the upper hand because he'd surprised Damon and Damon still had the sense not to make a super-natural scene at the vampire-suspicious Lockwood home. "Brother, you are drawing unwanted attention our way." Damon spoke through gritted teeth.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm capable of making this look like a normal human fight. I just can't wait to punch that smug look off of your damned face."

Stefan shoved Damon onto the balcony while still holding on to his hair. "I want to make something very clear, Damon." He yanked upward, tearing hair from Damon's roots but bringing Damon's face to his own the way he wanted. "In no way is Elena going to be a repeat of Katherine. I love Elena and you never will. Elena loves me and hates you. Katherine was a manipulative, self-centered bitch of a vampire and Elena is a sweet, tender, innocent human being." 

Damon noticed as fireworks had begun popping off half-way through Stefan's stupid, heroic speech. No one was paying any attention to them. Damon lurched from Stefan's grasp causing a handful of hair to rip from Damon's scalp but Damon gained the upper hand with his palms closed around Stefan's throat.

"You want to know what I think little brother?" Damon asked squeezing harder. "I think Elena will be a repeat of Katherine as soon as I want her to be. I just haven't decided if I'm interested or not yet."

Stefan's eyes raged under Damon's hold until finally his fury lent him a bolt of strength. A half-second later Damon was flying through the air and then crashing into the balcony's cement balustrade. Before he could fully wonder _what the hell? _Elena was crashing on top of him from a fifteen foot lunge she'd taken two milliseconds ago. Except Elena wasn't Elena. Elena was Stefan? Damon shook his head trying to separate dream from reality.

Just as his head was clearing from the impact of hitting the cement a second wave of pain came. Except the pain grew more and more agonizing. In his haze, Damon noticed Stefan dropped to ground holding his head between his hands also. Damon's eyes landed on Bonnie. Damn it! She'd come from nowhere and Elena was at her side. 

Stefan was on his knees, crippled with pain. He could see Elena screaming at Bonnie to stop but the sounds of her pleas were muffled as if traveling through hundreds of feet of ocean. Finally, in an instant all the pain subsided and Bonnie's verbal wrath began. How stupid could they be starting a fight here at the Lockwood's? Did they want to get found out? Did they want to make Elena feel this way? And on and on.

Elena finally succeeded in quieting Bonnie and rushed to Stefan. She fussed over him, touching him and asking if he was okay. Damon choked in disgust as he watched Elena rain gentle kisses over Stefan's head. 

Damon reached up to inspect his own head. There was blood on his hand but the ripped hair had grown back in. Right then he remembered his dream and how he'd wondered whether hair would grow back or not. Except in his dream he'd wanted to rip his own hair out because of Caroline. Where was she anyway? 

No one noticed Bonnie, a few feet away, as she picked up and pocketed Damon's fallen locks. 

For a split second Damon and Elena locked eyes, unknowingly thinking the same thing_. Huh. The night ended with a fight on the balcony after all._

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><p><em>AN: Thanks for reading, please review! Do you guys prefer short chapters with more frequent updates or longer chapters less frequently?  
><em>


	4. Pancakes Vs Playtime

Attention! This story has changed from a T-rating to an M-rating. What can I say? It just happened.

I need to clear something else up. A reviewer asked when this story is placed and if Caroline is human. That's a good question. Caroline is human. This story is sort of writing itself so I only "found out" Caroline was human shortly before you all did. However, it doesn't take place in the first season because Elena and Stefan have been dating longer than that. So, I suppose this story is slightly AU. Happy Reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own TVD.

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><p>Damon was horny and frustrated. After 150 years of unlife his sex drive usually didn't kick in until a guaranteed sexual encounter arose. He wasn't a 16 year-old boy anymore. However, since the Lockwood's Harvest Ball two nights ago Elena had been making unwanted appearances in his thoughts and daydreams. Daydreams? Gross. Damon wasn't the swooning, schoolboy type.<p>

It had been nearly a week since that night, but Damon kept returning to the dream at the pond. He remembered his anticipation rising as he realized Elena was undressing to go swimming. He'd been disappointed when she didn't go completely nude and now the mystery of Elena's body was driving him crazy. Her long legs, wide hips, flat stomach, pert breasts, and olive skin were making him mad with desire. He remembered when she'd reemerged after diving in. Once wet, her hair was black and he could see the faintest outline of her nipples through the bra clinging to her sweet, small breasts.

Damon groaned. He needed a distraction. Perhaps robbing the blood bank in the middle of the day would give him a little thrill. He needed to feel a bit daring, a bit "bad" right now.

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><p>Elena, Caroline, Bonnie and Stefan were eating lunch in the cafeteria. Caroline was filling the group in on her reconciliation with Matt. They'd ended up dancing at the Harvest Ball and dancing had turned into a walk so they could talk and the walk turned into kissing beneath the fireworks. Caroline was so enraptured with her own story she hadn't noticed the awkward energy at the table.<p>

Elena and Stefan were sitting next to each another, but it looked as if they'd laid invisible tape down the table and between their chairs. Stefan didn't have his hand on Elena's thigh like he usually did and Elena wasn't even making eye contact. They were sitting as if they were in finishing school, both upright and as stiff as a 2x4. Bonnie was having a hard time finishing her sandwich she felt so uncomfortable.

"Elena, do you think we could go talk?" Stefan nodded toward the door.

Elena flashed Caroline and Bonnie a self-conscious smile. She despised feeling like part of _that_ couple—the couple that had to excuse themselves in the middle of lunch. "Yeah, let's go." Elena mumbled.

"So, things are weird." Stefan got straight to it once they were in the hallway.

"Um, yeah I guess so." Elena didn't meet his gaze.

"They were weird at your house yesterday too."

Elena crossed her arms against her chest. "Yeah."

Stefan's cheeks ballooned as he blew out a heavy sigh. "You aren't helping much."

"What do you want me to say, Stefan? I've already apologized a thousand times," her voice rose, "and I'm not even sure why I'm doing that. It's not my fault Damon decided to graze on my ear the other night."

"That's not what this is about. I don't want to rehash the party over and over any more than you do. I just want to figure out why things are weird between us and fix it. Feeling this way sucks."

Elena finally looked into Stefan's now pleading eyes. "It does suck." Elena confirmed with a hesitant smile.

Smiling back, "Yeah." "So what should we do?"

"I don't know. Drive Damon out of Mystic Falls?" Damon's name got stuck in Elena's throat as she tried to joke.

"Do you remember how well that worked when Damon and I first arrived here?"

"Yeah, it didn't."

"Exactly." "Any more ideas?"

"I'll ask Jenna if you can move in and then no more Damon—or significantly less at least." Stefan smiled at Elena's suggestion even though he knew she wasn't serious. He became serious for a moment.

"I can't wait until the day we can live together, Elena. I want to rock you to sleep each night, wake up to your face each morning, and I want to make you pancakes." Elena laughed at the randomness of the last part. "I'm picky about my pancakes. They have to be light and fluffy. Light and fluffy," she repeated.

"Well, one good thing about my 162 years of life is that I've had plenty of time to perfect the art of pancake making." He grinned.

"And there must be real maple syrup, none of that Aunt Je-Je-"

"Jemima." Stefan helped.

"Yes! None of her." Elena was perking up. The awkwardness between them was beginning to evaporate.

"How about I come over tonight and make you breakfast for dinner?"

"Only if we can we have bacon too." In that moment Stefan could imagine Elena as a sweet, yet bossy little girl.

"Yes, we can have bacon." He smirked, feeling like a child had convinced him to accede.

"Okay, it's a plan. Dinner/breakfast at seven tonight?"

"Seven-o-clock." Stefan confirmed and bent to kiss Elena. It was a sweet, chaste kiss.

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><p>Hot water pelted Elena's back. Dipping her head into the strong stream, she let out a contented sigh. After school, Caroline had convinced her to try Zumba—a type of dance aerobics—now that her cheerleading season was on hiatus until basketball began. It was hard to believe an hour of dancing had left her this sore. A steaming shower had sounded like the perfect remedy.<p>

She lathered up her loofah, enjoying the slightly abrasive sensation. Guiding the loofah in a continuous figure-eight pattern, around the back of her neck and then forward to her chest, she was putting herself into a trance of sorts. Suddenly, she wasn't holding the loofah anymore. Her eyes shot open and then she nearly fainted. She was in the embrace of foreign arms and the intruder—who was behind her—was tracing loofah circles around her belly. A hand clapped over her mouth as she screamed.

Lips brushed her ear delivering a message: "Elena, it's me." She was frozen, so strong hands cupped her arms and turned her. Elena gulped as she came face to face with Damon. She should have hit him or at least thought 'What the hell? or 'How dare he?' but she was flooded with awe as she took in a very wet and naked Damon. He was beautiful. Wet, his hair was raven black. Beads of water ran over his lean, muscular body.

They stood in silence staring at one another. Damon's wet locks were slung back; for the first time Elena could appreciate all the angles of this man's handsome face. Without her own consent, her hand lifted to explore. A single finger traced along his high cheek bones, paused at his full bottom lip and continued on to the most masculine chin. From there she drew a line along his strong jaw, feeing the sinewy muscles beneath her fingertip. Biting her lip, she wondered how she'd never realized just how striking he was.

Elena felt self-conscious for inspecting him so closely. She lifted her fingers from his face but he turned his head catching her hand with his cheek. He placed the most sensual kiss within her palm, peering up at her through long eyelashes. Her throat constricted at the tenderness she saw in his smoky, blue eyes. From the kiss in her hand Damon proceeded to kiss the rapid pulse under the sensitive skin of her wrist. The next kiss was at the inside of her elbow. Elena giggled at how strangely erotic it was.

Damon glanced up at her giggling and smirked. Her eyes were closed so Damon surprised her with a quick lick up the rest of her arm. The tip of his hot, wet tongue left goose bumps in its wake and suddenly Elena was reeling. Damon buried his head in her shoulder and hugged her close. Each gasped at the first feeling of their naked bodies pressed together. _How had she not known this man could be so tender?_

Damon began nibbling in the crook of her neck and Elena's hands began exploring over his strong shoulders. Pulling her hair aside, he began kissing and nibbling Elena's neck in earnest. Elena's hands traveled further down his back. Finally, Damon's kisses reached her chin and he tilted her face to his. He held her there for a moment—searching her eyes, finding her soul—and then he guided her to his lips.

Damon mustered everything inside him in an attempt to kiss her sweetly but it didn't last long and soon he was parting her lips with his tongue. Elena was more than willing. Their tongues met and Elena moaned in pleasure. Hearing her moan revved Damon up further and soon he was exploring every crevice of her mouth. Running low on oxygen, Elena pushed off slightly yet swept her tongue over Damon's full, parted lips. Groaning, he took her bottom lip between his teeth and bit down gently. Her hips bucked against him in response. Damon's erection grew and he grinded against her. With mouths fusing again, Elena's hands returned to his muscular back. She traced a finger down his spine until reaching the sight swell of his butt; she grabbed his ass. Damon could not believe it, what a vixen she was. On fire now, he pushed her legs apart with a knee. He grinded his thigh into Elena's groin, her eyes began fluttering in pleasure.

Driving Elena wild, Damon's thigh continued building a fiery pressure as his hands were caressing every inch of her petite yet curvaceous frame. He smiled at Elena's face of pure bliss, eyes closed and lips parted, slightly panting. Her back arched in ecstasy raising her sweet, firm breasts toward Damon. He swiftly sucked a nipple between his lips, then engulfed even more of her breast into the blazing caverns of his mouth.

Elena cried out panting his name. "Oh, Damon. Damon. Damon." her eyes opened, "Damon?" He was gone. Elena spun around in shock. Where was he? How had he vanished?

Slowly, reality crept back in. She'd been showering alone and then from nowhere Damon had appeared. Had this been another dream? No, she knew she hadn't fallen asleep standing up. She knew she hadn't fallen asleep period. But that, whatever had just happened, was not some daydream. Damon had been here. She could smell him, feel him. Oh God, could she feel him.

Simply put, she had no way of explaining what just happened. It dawned on Elena that figuring out what happened may not be her biggest problem. Guilt was setting in. It was ridiculous because nothing truly happened, but she could not shake the feeling that she had been unfaithful to Stefan. During the day dream—that's what she'd have to call it—she believed whole-heartedly she was in reality. In that reality, she was intimate with Damon without a single thought of Stefan. This was not good.

The water had run cold and finally pushing Elena from her fog as. Shivering, she turned it off and heard a knock on the door. "Yeah?"

"Elena? Stefan's here." Jenna alerted. "He brought bacon and pancake mix."

Elena's stomach sank. _Crap._

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><p>Damon rolled to his side, shuddering. When he began stroking himself he'd been thinking of Katherine. Without his consent, his fantasy quickly turned to Elena instead. His imagination took him to Elena's house, more specifically Elena's bathroom. For a minute, he'd spied on her showering, but as soon as she was rubbing herself with that spongy thing he couldn't resist striping and climbing in behind her. He couldn't lie; he'd enjoyed the fact that he'd startled her. He was a vampire after all.<p>

Things had heated up quickly and Damon was shocked at the passion between them. He was pleasantly surprised by Elena's enthusiasm and roaming hands. Their first kiss was magic as their bodies pressed and molded into one. If only they had truly joined and become one, oh God. For some reason they didn't go the whole way in his fantasy. He couldn't imagine why not. It hadn't mattered though; the climax brought on by the feeling of Elena's breast between his lips was one of the best he'd had in 150 years.

Wait a minute, Damon was coming out of his post-climax fog. It had been the _feeling_ of Elena's breast. It had not been the thought, or the dream, or the visual. It had been the actual tactile sensation of her hardened nipple between his lips. What was going on? It wasn't possible yet at the same time he would bet his unlife he had truly been with Elena. Damon growled, between this and the two dreams it was becoming too much to handle.

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><p>What did you guys think? Was it good or should I stay away from "mature" content? Possible improvements?<p>

Reviews are a large part of what keeps me writing, so please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for all the line breaks further along in this chapter. I'm having a horrible time with formatting tonight and can't figure out a better way. Sorry to anyone who read this in all italics!

I do not own TVD.

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><p>Bonnie was worried she'd gotten in over her head. She'd only been trying to help her friend but she was dabbling with things she didn't completely understand. She'd been having visions involving Damon and Elena so she wasn't surprised when Elena told her she'd been having dreams. From the unease Bonnie sensed in Damon at the Founder's ball she suspected something was going on with him as well. The spell was simple, it was only meant to shed light on some of the things Elena was confused about, or in denial about, but somewhere along the way it had gone awry.<p>

Hours earlier Bonnie had received a call from a distraught Elena. Supposedly, last night Damon had appeared in her shower. Elena had said she would bet her life it wasn't a dream, that it had been reality on some level and not reality at the same time. Once Bonnie believed that Elena hadn't nodded off in the shower or been entranced by a daydream, apprehension began to build in her gut. Somewhere she wondered if it had something to do with parallel universes or alternative universes or were those the same thing? Bonnie wasn't sure.

Bonnie wasn't ready yet to tell Elena she'd created a spell for her so she had made the decision to wait and see what happened in the next few days. She told Elena to keep her updated and she'd consult her Grams about any more of the details Elena could provide. That seemed to calm Elena down a bit. Elena liked when a plan was in place even if it were a loose one.

With a mug of coffee in hand, Bonnie plopped down amongst stacks of grimwars. She had a lot of research to do.

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><p>Elena was at the boarding house lounging around with Stefan. She'd acted pretty weird around him last night during their pancake dinner so when she received the call that morning about school being cancelled she had thought of a surprise. She was going to make him breakfast in bed. Of course he had heard her rummaging around in the kitchen and came down to inspect what was going on, but she bossed him back to bed commanding him to stay there until she returned. He'd laughed at her antics. Now, with bellies full of waffles, sausage links, and fruit they cat-napped in the parlor.<p>

Damon was surprised to see the two of them when he came downstairs. Wasn't it a school day? He didn't think Elena was the type to skip. Yet again, he hadn't expected Elena to be such a sexual firecracker either. A twinge of jealousy nipped at him as he took the scene of the two intertwined on the couch together. Time for a blood bag—or maybe two. Damon smirked. It was non-sensible, but he swore this batch tasted better than the last. It must have been the extra risk involved when he stole it from the blood bank in the middle of the day.

Preoccupied with draining a bag into a mug and warming it up in the microwave, Stefan almost managed to sneak up on him. Damon turned in a flash. "What can I do for you Baby Brother?"

"Nothing. I just wanted to let you know I'm going to go out for a hunt. Elena's sleeping on the couch so try not to bother her, alright?"

"Oh, but I was planning on having a dance party. All the kids are coming." Damon rolled his eyes. "I won't bother her. Wouldn't want to overhear her calling my name in her sleep. That could make things awkward around here."

Stefan chose to ignore Damon's baiting. "I'll be back in a couple hours."

Once he heard the front door close, Damon entered the parlor. God, he wasn't expecting to have an emotional reaction to the sight of Elena, but she looked so peaceful; if he believed in angels he would have thought her to be one.

He, however, would never be a candidate. Images from last night were running through his mind. He moved closer to her and breathed her in. She smelled exactly how he'd imagined. But he hadn't imagined it, it had been real. He was still trying to figure that out. Actually, he wasn't trying to figure it out because he had no idea where to begin. He sat on the chair closest to her resting head, wanting so badly to reach out and touch her.

When had these feelings begun? Yes, he admitted to flirting with her but that didn't really mean much to a guy like himself. He'd been attracted to her from the first moment they met but he hadn't thought much of that with her being Katherine's doppelganger and all. He was happily surprised by the development of their usual banter and then even more so at the tentative friendship they had developed. However, a few weeks ago Elena had withdrawn from him a bit. He wondered if he'd begun to lay it on too thick. He was surprised by how much her distance bothered him and how much he missed her.

Elena stirred in her sleep, her hair falling in front of her face as a result. With the grace and agility of a feline, Damon leaned over to tuck the fallen hair behind her ear. With eyes closed, a faint smile graced Elena's face and she reached for his retreating hand. Damon swallowed but let her hold his hand in hers. He thumbed a figure eight pattern in her palm. Suddenly, Elena was getting to her feet. Had he woken her? "Elena?" There was no response. He flashed a few strides in front of her and could see she was still asleep. Did Elena sleep walk?

_Elena was walking barefoot along the forest floor. She smelled the mixture of earth and plant matter; she could smell the water running in a nearby creek. Through a clearing, she saw a little cottage laid ahead, perched at the top of a steep, grassy hill. She wanted to see who lived there._

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><p>Damon was unsure what to do as Elena began ascending up the stairs. He had heard you shouldn't wake a person while they are sleep walking so he just followed closely behind her, ready to catch her if she should trip.<p>

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><p><em>Stepping from circular stone to circular stone, Elena approached the cottage door. She stood for a moment then rapped her knuckles against the wooden door.<em>

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><p>Damon's brow furrowed as he realized Elena was heading towards his bedroom. She stood at his door for a moment and he suppressed a laugh as she began knocking. What was he supposed to do?<p>

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><p><em>Swinging open to reveal a man, Elena was happy to see Damon standing on the other side of the hearth. "Damon! I didn't know you lived here, how nice." She opened her arms for a hug.<em>

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><p>At Elena's voice Damon jumped a little, "Damon! I didn't know you lived here, how nice." Damon was sure a human wouldn't have been able to make out Elena's sleep talk and this was one of those times he was thankful for his astute hearing. Elena reached out to hug him and he stood there baffled. Leaning in to the hug she began falling forward and Damon flashed over to catch her.<p>

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><p><em>"Oh, silly me. I must have tripped over the hearth." With adoration, she looked up into her capturer's eyes. "Thank you for catching me." She ran her hands over his arms, "My, you sure are strong!" she giggled.<em>

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><p>Elena's caressing was making Damon very uncomfortable. He was trying his hardest not to think of last night. "Thank you, Elena." He replied to her compliment of his strength and released his hold on her. Where was this going? He wondered.<p>

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><p><em>"Do you have any tea? My walk in the woods has left me a bit chilly. It is a damp day." She began walking the perimeter of the cabin, picking things up here and there to inspect.<em>

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><p>Damon watched as Elena slept-walked around his room. Flipping through the pages of a book from his dresser she asked, "You like to read?" When he didn't respond she continued on until reaching his window. An instant later, she threw the curtains apart and her hands flew to her mouth. "It is absolutely breathtaking! I had no idea there was such beautiful countryside in this region."<p>

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><p><em>The view from the cabin's window was incredible. It was pastoral yet hilly as far as the eye could see with hundreds of small lakes all glittering in the sun. Magnificent Arabians grazed, tossing their manes from time to time. Beautiful birds of all colors, birds Elena had never seen before, were singing the most delightful melodies. She threw the windows open to hear their songs more clearly.<em>

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><p>"My word, is that not the most angelic sound you've ever heard? We must go outside to hear them better; I know the perfect place!" She turned from the window and walked towards Damon, he let her yank him in zig-zags across his room. He couldn't resist any longer, he was too curious where her dream was heading.<p>

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><p><em>Tugging Damon round the side of the house, Elena headed towards the clearing and set off for one of the grassy patches atop a hill she'd been admiring from inside. She stopped to pick a wildflower, admire a mare and fawn a hundred yards away, run her fingers through a cool stream. Splashing water in Damon's unsuspecting face made her burst with giggles and she began running towards the hill. Frowning, she realized Damon wasn't chasing her. She called out to him.<em>

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><p>"You are no fun Damon Salvatore." He wasn't sure what he'd neglected to do in her dream but he was unhappy with his dream self. If nothing besides evil, Damon was fun. "No fun?"<p>

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><p><em>Meandering back in Damon's direction, Elena asked, "Am I so undesirable that you cannot even humor me by chasing after me for one afternoon?"<em>

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><p>She wanted him to chase her? So be it. He crossed the 10-foot distance between them and scooped her up in his arms bridal-style. "I've got you, now what?" Damon smirked as Elena burst into a fit of silly shrieks. She struggled in his arms, like prey. The thought hit too close to reality and Damon placed Elena back on her feet. With eyes still shut, she stood chest to chest with him for a moment looking confused and then tugged on his hand again.<p>

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><p><em>Wild violets covered the base of the hill and Elena breathed them in. She led Damon and began ascending, "Isn't it magnificent? The sunshine makes the lakes look like bowls of diamonds." Eyes panning the glorious countryside, Elena walked straight in to a tree fallen over the path. "Foolish me", she blushed and stood a moment accessing whether to duck below or climb over the barrier.<em>

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><p>Elena walked straight into the side of Damon's bed. Damon's held his breath as she stood still. Elena had never even been in his room before today and now she looked as if she might climb onto his bed. Momentarily, he considered stopping her or waking her up, but curiosity got the better of him again as he noticed she'd decided to climb up after all.<p>

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><p><em>Waving Damon up, she called, "Come on! The view is incredible." She had recovered from the embarrassment of her clumsy moment and wanted him to join her. She stood perplexed when he didn't move.<em>

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><p>He didn't know what to do, having Elena in his bed was not something he was prepared for and the fact she was asleep made it all the more confusing. He scanned where she was sitting. He'd been pleasuring himself, fantasizing about her in that very spot less than twelve hours ago. The memory of their time together in the shower made him groan.<p>

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><p><em>Beginning to feel silly and unwanted, Elena scoffed. Why was he just standing there? She couldn't let him know she cared. She would go on enjoying this beautiful place with or without him. She made an exaggerated show of lying down from her sitting position, fanning her hair over the blanket of green grass. She patted the ground next to her, "Come watch the clouds with me," she said with an air of ease. He wouldn't know whether she cared if he took her up on the offer or not.<em>

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><p>His resolve waned as Elena laid down between his pillows. The contrast of her rich brown hair on his stark white pillows was a sight he never could have conjured up in a fantasy of his own. Then the scent hit him. He recognized the smell of her shampoo from last night. An image from last night—the one of her hips bucking against him—flashed before his eyes. Her hands had been all over him, tracing patterns through the beads of water running over his skin. Her mouth, she tasted so good. His lips at her pulse, God he had wanted to bite her, to taste the blood that smelled beyond better than any he could imagine. In his daze of memories, Damon noticed Elena patting the bed beside her. He was climbing up before her hand landed from the final pat.<p>

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><p><em>Smiling, Elena felt victorious once Damon settled beside her. Getting comfortable and shifting around a bit his hand brushed hers and she twitched slightly from the spark. Had he felt that too? <em>

"_I see a rabbit…with a cotton tail," she pronounced, "Do you see it too?" _

_Damon's eyes searched the sky, squinting now and then. He held his hand up, looking as if he were blacking out half of a cloud. "I think I do, yes." He smiled. _

"_Really? Where do you think it is?" Elena questioned. Perhaps she felt giddier than appropriate when Damon pointed to the same rabbit shape she'd picked out. They took turns finding other creatures and objects in the sky and challenging the other to find the same. _

"_Can you see the airplane?" _

_Her brow furrowed. What was Damon talking about? "A what?" she asked. _

"_An airplane." He repeated, not understanding the confused look on her face. _

"_What are you speaking of? I'm not familiar." _

_He laughed. "You're not familiar with airplanes, Elena?" _

_Was he mocking her? Elena was getting upset despite herself. Of course she knew of Damon Salvatore's reputation. He was charming but there were rumors that he did not always behave as a gentleman should. "Well, excuse me but you, sir, are being rude. Let me remind you, I do not have free access to my family's private library, a multitude of tutors, free reign of the city or the rights to inquiry as you do. I should think no lady knows what an airplane is." She began to rise from her position in the grass._

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><p>Damon was startled. What era was Elena's dream taking place in and why was she so upset with him suddenly? Reflexively, he grabbed her arms as she shifted to her elbows obviously moving to leave. Her proximity and the feel of her warm, soft skin beneath his fingertips stopped time.<p>

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><p><em>Elena gasped in his firm hold. A man had never clutched her with such force before. Each fingertip sent its own river of electricity through her body. Ten rivers met in a swirling, churning lake at her stomach. A briefest meeting of their eyes turned the lake into a bed of molten lava. The heat was building at an impossible rate and Elena knew she would soon be on fire. Searching Damon's face desperately, her eyes landed on his lips; the source of water. Nothing was making any sense, she had no idea where she was or what was going on. She rose up and leaned over Damon, he was the only thing she was sure of. He and his lips would save her from this fiery fate. There was no decision to make; the magnetism of his cool, sweet breath drew Elena just inches from his lips.<em>

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><p>Her eyes snapped open and Damon froze. A moment ago he could tell that stopping Elena from her retreat had brought a turn of events in her dream. She was searching his face as if her life depended on finding something there, but he could tell she was not awake, at least not in the traditional sense. His breath caught as her eyes landed on his lips. Peace washed over her features and determination took its place. A voice was telling him this wasn't right, but one-hundred more were telling him there wasn't anything more right. A pressure in his lungs was building and he remembered he had stopped breathing. He exhaled and as his sweet breath meet Elena it seemed to serve as a guiding force. She drew closer still.<p>

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><p>The atoms resting on Elena's lips mingled with those resting on Damon's. Wasn't it impossible to be aware of something so small? Damon looked into Elena's eyes and by the way her pupils adjusted fractionally he knew she was seeing him. Damon's bedroom was far away now; everything they understood was out of reach. All that existed was Elena lying atop Damon in a cloud of molecules. That's all there was. The two of them together. At this level everything was clear for both of them. Molecules had no morals. Atoms did not understand social rules. Moving her lips an imperceptible distance, Elena laughed as she displaced the old atoms between their lips and new ones took their space. Damon blew out gently, sending them away like bubbles in a slight breeze. Suddenly Damon and Elena needed to be closer. They could feel each other, it looked as if they were touching, but they were aware of each and every atom separating them.<p>

They spoke with their eyes, a conversation they had had many times before. They nodded their agreement, the transmission began and they were glowing. A flurry of activity was happening all around and within them. Their bodies were speaking to each other and to the nearby electrons. Giving and taking of electrons was happening millions of times over as Damon and Elena's atoms created bond after bond from their toes up. Coils of electric rainbows danced in circles around and around Damon and Elena. The rainbow of colors turned to a golden spiral that slowly rained down in twinkling bells. They smiled to each other when they knew the process was almost complete, neither could mistake the feeling of coming home. The flurry began to die down in earnest and Elena lowered her head to kiss Damon. This time there would be no barrier and they would remember the truth once more. Trembling slightly, they brushed lips and a picture of the sky one-billion years ago flashed by, pressing their lips firmly together presented an image of swimming along the ocean floor, and finally as they fused the memory—the only one they needed—returned.

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><p>Ha, well...my boyfriend said he thinks you'll all think I wrote this while taking Ecstasy. I'm sober, but I'm not sure I disagree with him, lol. Again, this story seems to be writing itself. Please tell me what you think. Is it too far out there?<p>

I don't know the best way to ask for reviews. Some authors say "reviews are love" or "reviews make my day" or "reviews make me write faster". I agree with all of these things. So whatever phrase pulls on your reviewing heart-strings please insert here _. Thank you!


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